20 Engine Building Tips and Tricks

We help you build it better, stronger, faster.

The engine is the heart and soul of any self-respecting muscle car. Typically in our market, the nastier the motor is the better. Lumpy cams and loud exhaust just let people know your car means business. Even though the market is almost flooded with pre-built crate engines, sometimes ability, budgets and/or pride dictate that you do it yourself. If you are a seasoned engine builder, then you probably know the value of doing things right, so your hard work and investment stand the test of time. The novice engine builder is where lack of knowledge could pose an issue.

We have compiled some of the best engine assembly tips and tricks to help you put it together easier, better, faster and maybe even help you avoid making a costly mistake along the way. These tips come from some of our best stories from the Super Chevy archive. The builders of the engines in the stories were kind enough to pass along these tips to help the home guy, but if building an engine is just out side your wheelhouse you can always contact them and let them assemble your perfect powerplant.

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20 Engine Building Tips and Tricks

1. When it comes to filing ring gaps, you should look to the ring manufacturer for the company’s gap recommendations. Typically, it’s some sort of formula, like bore times a certain number for each ring. With that information in hand, when you go to measure ring gaps, make sure to use a bore insert to square up the ring. This will make sure your measurements are true.

Typically, it’s some sort of formula, like bore times a certain number for each ring. With that information in hand, when you go to measure ring gaps, make sure to use a bore insert to square up the ring. This will make sure your measurements are true.

2. Good quality engine bearings come in three different sizes: standard, 0.001-inch under (-1) and 0.001-inch over (1X). It’s helpful to know this after you have everything back from the machinist and are trying to get that perfect amount of clearance for the oil.

3. I think we all know the value of a liberal coating of assembly lube when installing a cam. One thing most builders overlook after they have installed the cam is to make sure it spins nice and smooth with no hard spots. If there is a hard spot in the rotation, then there is an issue with either the cam being bent, the cam journals not in line, or the cam bearings in crooked. No matter what the issue, if it doesn’t spin smoothly pull it out and investigate.

4. When bolting on a cylinder head, you want to use a good moly lube like the one ARP supplies with its bolts. We all know to put it on the threads, but what is typically over looked is coating the flange of the bolt and the washer as well to minimize friction at these points and provide a more consistent torque setting.

5. On some blocks the head bolts go into the coolant passages. To ensure you get a good seal, you want to apply sealant to the threads of the bolts and also push some of it down the treads in the block as well.

6. If you are ordering a new cam for your engine, you might want to consider a cam that has a 4/7 firing order swap. The number 4 cam bearing has extra load put on it because the number 5 and 7 valves are open at the same time. Also, since 5 and 7 intake ports are next to each other, when the number 5 cylinder valve opens it disrupts number 7’s intake charge. The swap cures these issues and makes the motor a bit more efficient.

7. This tip is more about teardown, but it’s still important. Any time you are removing a fastener that goes into a water jacket, like head bolts or screw in studs, break them loose with an impact and then finish removing them with a ratchet. There is going to be sealant and possibly some rust accumulated on the threads. Taking them out slowly should prevent messing up the threads or breaking the bolt.

8. Just about any speed part you buy that is made from metal will be shipped with a coating of something to prevent rust. Before you install the parts, it’s a great idea to clean them in a solvent tank or in a bath of lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol to remove any possible contaminants. Let the parts soak for a minute of two and then blow them off with compressed air.

9. Speaking of soaking, any moving part you are going to install needs to be coated in assembly lube or oil before installation. For the items that you can’t directly apply assembly lube to (like roller rockers or hydraulic lifters), it’s a good idea to soak them in oil for about a half hour. This will prevent galling or damage when the engine is first fired up.

10. Another few oiling tips that some may overlook. Lube the stems of the valves before installing them into the guides to prevent scoring them.

Also oil the timing chain to prevent wear during initial start up.

11. We know this sounds obvious, but when installing a roller cam, make sure the arrows on the tie bars are pointing up. Typically, the lifters are shipped in a box with the tie bars installed upside down for better packaging—don’t assume you can just take them out of the box and drop them in.

12. When building from scratch, you need to make sure the oil pump pick up is at least 1/4-inch from the floor of the oil pan. When working with a pump with an integrated screen/pick up like Moroso’s billet spur gear oil pump that has a 061-T6 billet housing, just put some clay in a small bag and then set it right on top of the oil pump. Then install the pan with gasket. The pan will crush the clay and show you exactly the distance you have.

13. If you are using a more standard-type oil pump with a push-in pick-up then you will have to use a tape measure to get your clearance measurements. Place the pan flat on the bench and measure its height. Now measure from the pan rail on the motor to the pick up and the difference is your clearance.

Since these pick ups are pressed in they can easily be adjusted to the correct clearance.

14. When you are happy with the position of the pick-up, remove the top plate of the oil pump and weld the pick-up in place.

Removing the plate when welding the pick up prevents the electrical energy produced by the welder from possibly scarring the pump gears. Having the plate off also allows you to pre-prime the oil pump before putting the top back on.

15. Setting valve lash can be a bit confusing, but one of the surest ways to do it right is the “intake opening, exhaust closing” method. Turn the engine over clockwise watching the intake valve’s rocker arm for the cylinder you’re adjusting. When it begins to open, lash that cylinder’s exhaust valve. Continue turning the engine over clockwise and watch for the exhaust valve to open and then almost completely close. Set the intake lash when the exhaust is about half-closed.

16. When working on an LS engine, whether it’s a rebuild or from scratch with brand new goodies, you really want to make sure you get the right reluctor wheel for your engine management. Currently, there are two generations in the LS family: the 24 and 58, so make sure to get the correct one during the build phase. These are attached to the end of the crankshaft and under the pan, so it’s that out of sight out of mind issue and why it gets overlooked.

17. Spiral locks are a great upgrade to pressed-in pins but can be a real pain to install. Jeffery Stretch from Specialty Machine Inc. has a way to get these boogers in quickly without any special tools. First, use the tip of your finger to open up the end of the coil of the lock, then insert the tip into the groove. Now pull out your finger and use a flat tip screwdriver to push down on the coils with a smooth circular motion. When you get to the end with the screwdriver the lock will be completely installed into the groove.

17. Spiral locks are a great upgrade to pressed-in pins but can be a real pain to install. Jeffery Stretch from Specialty Machine Inc. has a way to get these boogers in quickly without any special tools. First, use the tip of your finger to open up the end of the coil of the lock, then insert the tip into the groove. Now pull out your finger and use a flat tip screwdriver to push down on the coils with a smooth circular motion. When you get to the end with the screwdriver the lock will be completely installed into the groove.

18. When it comes to port-matching a manifold to your heads, there are a few things you need to know before you start. From left to right we have a course-grinding tip that will be used to remove all the material and get the shape right. Then the fine will be used to remove the chip marks left by the course tip. Then a sandpaper roll will be used to smooth out the finish even more and lastly will be a flapper tip with some sandpaper to produce the proper texture.

19. Speaking of porting, after you have applied blue machinists dye to the surface and made your marks

Jeffery recommends grinding all the corners first.

Then come back and grind away the area between the corners. Jeff has found from years of whittling away on aluminum this procedure produces the most consistent results.

20. And the last but certainly not the least tip we can pass along for the beginning engine builder is—do research. There are multiple books and magazines in the market that will help you along the way.